Finally time to upgrade

[Galactus]

Well my old computer has finally seen its best days. The thing just keeps restarting for no reason and doing a memory dump, so I think it is time for an upgrade.

I thought it would be fun to just rebuild it instead of just buying another new computer. I will need a motherboard that I can still use my old PATA hard drive and DVD burner. It would be nice if I could still use the graphic card but that is not that important.

So does anyone have some suggestions as to which motherboard I should buy. Also I am quite confused by the type of memory I should use. It seems like there are way too many options out there. Maybe someone can clear that up for me also. And lastly what OS should I go with XP or Vista. I really dislike Vista, but is XP almost out of date now? I would try Linux but I don't think my kids could use it.

 

[farmkid]

Which motherboard you should use in entirely dependent on which platform you decide to go with (AMD/Intel), what form factor your case will accept (ATX, etc.) and what features you want/need on the motherboard (oboard graphics or not, firewire, etc.). Before anyone here can give you specific information, we need to know a little more about your old computer.

You probably won't be able to reuse the graphics card because everything made now uses PCI Express graphics rather than the AGP that's probably on your old board. However, if you don't do any intensive 3D stuff (modern gaming or 3D model rendering), you would be fine with onboard graphics. There are some fairly good options available now.

You will most likely need DDR2 memory. That is the current standard for just about everything at the moment. That will depend on your motherboard, though. You certainly could upgrade to Vista if you wanted to, but you don't need to. XP is still just fine. You could probably use the copy of XP you are currently using on your now dead computer. You might have to jump though a couple of hoops to get it activated, but that's probably worth the money you would save buying a new copy.

A couple other thoughts: most motherboards now use a slighlty different power supply connector-24 pins instead of 20. There may also be an additional 4 pin connector. You may have to buy a new power supply as well. How old is your hard drive? If it is fairly old or small, you might be well served by buying a new one. New hard drives are much faster than older ones and you will get a decent performance increase with a new hard drive if yours is an old 40GB drive or something.

 

[Galactus]

Well my hard drive is fairly new at about 300GB but it is PATA not SATA. The only other parts I want to keep are my DVD burner. I don't really have a problem getting a new case because it will be smaller than the old one.

So what is the difference between say DDR2 PC2 6200, DDR2 PC2 6400, DDR2 PC2 8500 and so on. Things were a lot simpler in the old days.

As far as the OS I am going to have to buy one so is XP still even available. I am using Vista now on another system and I don't like it at all.

 

[Alaedhros]

I will need a motherboard that I can still use my old PATA hard drive and DVD burner.

That should not be a problem; my motherboard, which is a little over 1 year old, has two PATA slots (which means maximum four devices).

So does anyone have some suggestions as to which motherboard I should buy.

Others have more opinions than me, but my mobo is a Gigabyte that I've had no problems with.

Also I am quite confused by the type of memory I should use. It seems like there are way too many options out there. Maybe someone can clear that up for me also.

The memory you need depends upon the mobo/CPU that you decide on. DDR3 is the new kid on the block, but I think it's still too expensive to adopt; while DDR2 has been around for a few years, I think support should linger for a few more years, and the MB/dollar ratio is pretty damn good.

And lastly what OS should I go with XP or Vista. I really dislike Vista, but is XP almost out of date now? I would try Linux but I don't think my kids could use it.

XP is available until January of 2009, and security support will continue until April 2014 (and maybe longer, if MS changes its mind, which it has already done with regard to XP's life-cycle once). Personally I'd stick to XP, but I won't bother arguing in favor of it unless you ask me to.

Which motherboard you should use in entirely dependent on which platform you decide to go with (AMD/Intel)...

Well, I wasn't going to bring it up, but since farmkid mentioned it (), my vote's for AMD. Yes, Intel's Core 2 line will out-perform AMD's offerings, but you'll pay extra for that performance; when I last compared the two companies a few months ago, AMD's chips were solidly a better value for the money, and few people (in my opinion) need the significant processing power that the upper-end Core 2's offer. (If the situation has changed any in the last few months, hopefully someone will chime in with more detailed info.)

You probably won't be able to reuse the graphics card because everything made now uses PCI Express graphics rather than the AGP that's probably on your old board. However, if you don't do any intensive 3D stuff (modern gaming or 3D model rendering), you would be fine with onboard graphics. There are some fairly good options available now.

Seconded. If you're not doing gaming or modeling, stick with onboard graphics and save a little on your power bill.

So what is the difference between say DDR2 PC2 6200, DDR2 PC2 6400, DDR2 PC2 8500 and so on. Things were a lot simpler in the old days.

The 'PC2 xxxx' is the speed rating of the RAM (specifically, it's the peak transfer rate in MB/s). The speed you need is also partly determined by your mobo and CPU. My mobo, for example, is rated to accept DDR2 PC2 3200 to PC2 6400.

 

[farmkid]

I will need a motherboard that I can still use my old PATA hard drive and DVD burner.

That should not be a problem; my motherboard, which is a little over 1 year old, has two PATA slots (which means maximum four devices).

Most motherboards now only have one PATA channel. That should be okay as long as you only use your DVD burner and hard drive, but you won't be able to hook up anything else. Also, connecting both to the same PATA channel isn't optimal. The system can only access one device at a time, so you may see some performance issues when installing programs from CDs or when burning CDs or DVDs. It may be worth considering a SATA hard drive or DVD burner. Your 300GB drive is new enough that any performance increase you would get from a new drive would be minimal, so you may be best served by buying a new DVD burner (~$25-$35) if you decide to get them off the same channel.

Well, I wasn't going to bring it up, but since farmkid mentioned it (), my vote's for AMD. Yes, Intel's Core 2 line will out-perform AMD's offerings, but you'll pay extra for that performance; when I last compared the two companies a few months ago, AMD's chips were solidly a better value for the money, and few people (in my opinion) need the significant processing power that the upper-end Core 2's offer. (If the situation has changed any in the last few months, hopefully someone will chime in with more detailed info.)

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Galacticus, you can get a system that will do anything you want for very little money by going the AMD route. Sure, the Core2 offers better performance, but honestly, everything made today is vastly overpowered for 99% of what people do with their computers. The only common things people do with their computers that tax them is modern gaming and video encoding. If you don't do either of those, you don't need a high end CPU.

So what is the difference between say DDR2 PC2 6200, DDR2 PC2 6400, DDR2 PC2 8500 and so on. Things were a lot simpler in the old days.

The 'PC2 xxxx' is the speed rating of the RAM (specifically, it's the peak transfer rate in MB/s). The speed you need is also partly determined by your mobo and CPU. My mobo, for example, is rated to accept DDR2 PC2 3200 to PC2 6400.

Yeah, don't worry too much about the memory. There are lots of different kinds, but for the most part, they only differ in speed. As long as it says DDR2, it is the same standard. If you buy DDR2 PC2 6400 it will work with just about any motherboard you buy today.

 

[Galactus]

Thanks guys for all the feedback it is really helpful. I see what I will be doing this weekend if I can find a good deal at the local store. I would rather use my W2K instead of Vista, i really dislike this thing. I am really thinking about using Linspire to see how that will work.

Glad to see that all the memory is the same except one is faster than the other. I hope I will be able to use the DVD burner and my hard drive. That is the one thing about computers that drives me crazy, they become obsolete so quickly where I can't even use the stuff I have.

Thanks again for the help and I will let everyone know how it goes. I am all about saving cash so the AMD route definitely is how I will go.

 

[farmkid]

Glad to help. Be sure to check out some of the online retailers as well. My personal favorite is Newegg. You will certainly find some good deals there, though you can occasionally find better deals on some components at local stores, especially if there's a Fry's nearby.

 

[Galactus]

Yeah there is a Fry's nearby, I might check out if I get time. I can't believe that XP is only $15 cheaper than Vista. What a rip off.

 

[Borjis]

The thing just keeps restarting for no reason and doing a memory dump, so I think it is time for an upgrade.

Very common issue with tired power supplies.
fyi

 

[Galactus]

The thing just keeps restarting for no reason and doing a memory dump, so I think it is time for an upgrade.

Very common issue with tired power supplies.
fyi

So that will give me a blue screen and restart? I can't remember if I switched out the power supply or not. Still it is probably better to upgrade.